Wednesday, April 25, 2001
[ HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL ]
Sibling Rivalry IT only took one fly ball for Tom and Cindi Seminara to realize they might have a problem. With their eldest son, Kyle, at the plate for the Punahou intermediate baseball team, and their younger boy, Kody, taking the field for Maryknoll, the Seminaras found themselves performing a delicate balancing act, where a harmless cheer might have ramifications once they return to their Mililani home.
Love turns to competition when
Maryknoll and Punahou -- and
the Seminara brothers
-- take the fieldBy Jason Kaneshiro
Star-Bulletin"Kody caught Kyle's fly ball, and Kyle was upset," Cindi recalls. "He said, 'Why did you guys clap?' And we said, 'We were just happy because he caught the ball.' "
Kyle is now a junior at Punahou, while Kody is a freshman at ASSETS School and plays baseball for Maryknoll.
Both are key contributors for their varsity teams, and the Seminaras' dilemma arises any time the Buffanblu face the Spartans. And Kody's role as one of the Spartans' top pitchers and Kyle's emergence as a heavy-hitting outfielder for Punahou have brought the siblings into direct competition twice during the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season.
"It was kind of weird at first," Kyle Seminara said of hitting against his brother. "I try to block that out and try not to think about it, but you always think about it."
Said Kody, who at 5-foot-8, stands six inches shorter than his older brother: "When I face him I pitch him like I would pitch another batter who's big, tall and stronger than you."
WHILE THEY COMPETE on the field, that's where the Seminaras' sibling rivalry ends. During the rest of the season, the brothers remain each other's biggest fans and make it a point to catch each other's games when the schedule allows.
And the Seminaras, who both wear No. 10, also regularly dissect game video together to look for flaws in their swings and share scouting reports on other teams in the league.
But the free flow of information stopped in the days leading up to their first varsity encounter March 27. Kody found out he was going to start against the Buffanblu a couple of days before the game, but put on his best poker face at home.
"He wouldn't tell me who was going to pitch," Kyle said. "I kept asking him, 'Who are you guys going to pitch against us?' and he told me somebody else. When I got there my coach said 'Kody's starting, you know.' And I'm like 'What? He didn't tell me that.' "
But Kyle exacted revenge on little brother by going 2-for-2 against him with a double and a triple in the Buffanblu's 21-2 victory.Kody atoned for the rough outing by contributing to a 3-2 upset of St. Louis on March 31 and throwing six shutout innings against Kamehameha on April 6 to lead the Spartans to a 7-2 win. The outing against Kamehameha came five days after he suffered a broken nose during a weekend soccer game and one day after he had five stitches removed.
"It was good because he's my brother, and the other half was it helped us out," Kyle said, "because it was a tight race."
KODY THEN TURNED the tables on Kyle on April 10, when Maryknoll upset Punahou, 3-2. And while the Maryknoll players, coaches and parents reveled in the victory, Tom and Cindi had to remain neutral and went home with mixed emotions -- elated for Kody and disappointed for Kyle. And rather than razz Kyle all the way home, Kody knew to keep his distance while Kyle, the more intense of the pair, cooled down after the loss.
"It was kind of funny that night," said Tom Seminara, "because Kyle went to bed and I asked Kody, 'Eh, it's kind of past your bed time. ... You don't want to go to bed?' He says, 'No, Kyle's still up.' "
Said Cindi Seminara: "Kody is very humble. He would never ruffle Kyle's feathers or rub it in. Maybe three days later he might make a comment, but not at the time."
While Kyle is a full-time baseball player, Kody is also playing for a Hawaii Youth Soccer Association 14-and-under team in Mililani. The squad won a regional tournament last weekend to earn a trip to New Mexico in June. And Kyle was there to watch Kody's victory.
Kody also shares in the joy when Kyle's bat is singing for Punahou. And as a pitcher he knows better than most what his brother is capable of.
"He has power and he makes good contact," Kody said. "When he's on, he can hit any pitch they throw to him. He has fast bat speed and he's strong."
The brothers' mutual respect is rooted in their recognition of each other's individual gifts. Kyle has always excelled in the classroom, and helps Kody overcome his dyslexia in doing his school work. Kody, on the other hand, possesses more natural athletic ability of the two.
"From the time they were little, they've never been competitive with each other," Cindi said. "One hasn't tried to outdo the other, ever.
"They both have their strengths and I think that's why they've never been rivals. They've needed each other."
Kyle and Kody are now preparing for the ILH double-elimination tournament, which gets underway tomorrow. Maryknoll will face Iolani at Mid-Pacific field, while Punahou takes on Kamehameha at Ala Wai Field. And if the teams should meet in the tournament, neither brother will need a scouting report to gear up for Round 3.
"I know what he's going to throw," Kyle said.
"I don't know if he can hit it," Kody responded.
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